Metapsychology and the Foundations of Psychoanalysis

<p><em>Metapsychology and the Foundations of Psychoanalysis</em> redresses faults in Freud’s original conception to develop a coherent theoretical basis for psychodynamic theory. Simon Boag demonstrates that Freud’s much maligned ‘metapsychology’ once revised can provide a foundation for evaluating and integrating the plethora of psychodynamic perspectives by developing a philosophically-informed position that addresses the embodied interconnected relationship between motivation cognition and affects. </p><p>The book centres upon the major concepts in psychoanalysis including the notion of unconscious mental processes wish-fulfilment fantasy and repression. Both philosophical considerations and empirical evidence are brought to bear upon these topics and used to extract the valuable insights from major approaches. As a result Boag’s revised general psychology which stays true to Freud’s intention addresses psychoanalytic pluralism and shows it is possible to develop a unified account integrating the insights from attachment theory and object relational approaches and acknowledging the rightful role for neuropsychoanalysis.</p><p><em>Metapsychology and the Foundations of Psychoanalysis</em> will be of interest to psychoanalysts psychiatrists philosophers of mind and psychologists as well as anyone concerned with neuropsychoanalysis or psychoanalysis and attachment theory. </p>